Brian Selznick

IDHV Newsletter - Nov, 2011
By Lorna Irwin, IDHV Secretary   

The stories of two children unfold in parallel, though separated by fifty years. In 1927, Rose is searching for her mother; in 1977, Ben is searching for the father he never knew. Rose's story is told in pictures; her situation emerges as you study the details in the pictures and read books, articles and written notes along with her. Gradually you realize that Rose is deaf, and communicates by writing to those around her. Ben's story is told in words. He has recently lost his mother, the only parent he's ever known. Deaf in one ear, he suddenly loses the hearing in his other during a thunderstorm.

Both children run away to New York City in their quest; both find their way to the Museum of Natural History, for their stories are intertwined in ways hinted at in the earlier sections of the book, and which become clear at the end, as their stories merge. Neither finds exactly what they set out to find in the beginning, but both find a new place to belong.

Brian Selznick is an illustrator/author who began to experiment with telling a story with both words and pictures with The Invention of Hugo Cabret, which won the Caldecott medal and is coming out as a movie this fall. Wonderstruck, with its two narratives, is a different way of using pictures. The near-absence of words in Rose's story allows you to experience the world as she does, visually.  

All those illustrations add up to a hefty tome (more than 600 pages.)  However, it is a children's book--or is it?  As you read and re-read it, layers of complexity emerge, making it one of those children's books that can be thoroughly enjoyed by an adult reader. For today's children who are deaf or hard of hearing, it's a glimpse into history.  For the child who loves museums, drawing, or building things, there's even more.